Fuses are commonly used as circuit protection devices and are typically installed between a source of electrical power and a component in a circuit that is to be protected. One type of fuse, commonly referred to as a “surface mount fuse,” includes an electrically insulating fuse body containing a fusible element that extends between electrically conductive, metallic terminals that extend through opposing longitudinal ends of the fuse body. The terminals are typically bent around the ends of the fuse body to the underside of the fuse body for providing electrical connections to a printed circuit board (PCB). Upon the occurrence of a specified fault condition, such as an overcurrent condition, the fusible element melts or otherwise separates to interrupt the flow of electrical current between an electrical power source and a protected component.
The market for surface mount fuses is highly competitive, and manufactures of surface mount fuses must minimize production costs in order to be competitive. It is with respect to these and other considerations that the present improvements may be useful.